Rory Feek accepted music’s highest honor at the Grammys last night for best gospel roots album, but the win was bittersweet for the widower without his late wife and duet partner, Joey Feek.
Feek kept his promise to Joey, who lost her battle with cancer last year, by attending the 2017 Grammys at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Sunday, The Washington Post reported.
Joey + Rory took home the award for their album “Hymns,” which the couple recorded shortly before Joey’s death last march at the age of 40. The making of the album was quite of a feat for Joey, who was undergoing intense cancer treatment at the time.
“My wife’s dream was to make a hymns album,” Feek said during a non-televised portion of the Grammys as he held back tears. “She didn’t have the chance to do it until she’d been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, so she’d sing in hotel rooms while she did chemotherapy and radiation.”
Once the album was nominated for a Grammy, Joey make Feek promise to attend the pre-telecast award ceremony.
“She sang her vocals in hotel rooms while she did chemo and radiation and it finally came out a year ago, almost exactly,” Feek said. “And we sat together in the final days and watched this award ceremony last year — and she said, ‘If we get nominated, promise me you will come.’ And I said ‘I will.’”
“Remember, if we win, I’ll know before you will,” Feek recalls his wife telling him.
Before the ceremony, Feek said it “doesn’t mean anything” if they win or lose,” and that the night was simply for “celebrating” his “bride.”
The Grammy win was the first-ever for Joey + Rory. The couple have a 2-year-old daughter named Indiana together.
(H/T: Washington Post)
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